CrownHeights.info caught up with Eli Federman to get his comments on the criticism he was receiving that he should not have made the ‘exclusion of women from voting’ issue public. We raised a number of issues to Mr. Federman, all of which were asked by you – the readers – in the comments section of the original article.
Was Federman Wrong for Going to the Times?
CrownHeights.info caught up with Eli Federman to get his comments on the criticism he was receiving that he should not have made the ‘exclusion of women from voting’ issue public. We raised a number of issues to Mr. Federman, all of which were asked by you – the readers – in the comments section of the original article.
On the matter of bringing the issue to the public, Federman commented that “the CHJCC voting policies were already made public. The bylaws are online. This issue is not a secret. In fact, Zaki [Tamir, chairman of the Vaad Hakohol] stated to the Forward on June 16, 2010 that he hopes to address the exclusion of widows and divorcees. The community should hold him to it.” and adding his frustration that he was only stonewalled and saw no action from the council or the Rabonim.
When asked why specifically the NY Times, Federman commented that on this issue they would be neutral because “regardless of their political leanings they are darn good journalists that take no sides on internal sectarian Crown Heights politics; besides, over the last few weeks they have written very fairly about our community, including the article on Pesach.”
Federman also reiterated that he welcomes all critique, but before passing judgment people should read the letters that he initially sent to the CHJCC, and that he is “glad this is generating a vital discussion on this issue despite the nefarious lie that the Rebbe endorsed this discriminatory policy. Before going public I made sure to verify that the Rebbe had nothing to do with these policies, and people should be ashamed of themselves for dragging the Rebbe into local Crown Heights politics.”
Federman also remarked that he got approval from his Mashpia to go forward with the story, and that his Mashpia is someone who is a well-respected and known figure in Lubavitch. He also noted that he is, indeed, a resident of Crown Heights – having lived here for the past 4 years, and although he did live in Queens for a short period, he lives here now.
On the issue of being accused of Mesira, Federman said: “Those accusing me of Mesirah are confusing two issues. It is Mesira only when someone gives information to the authorities which can be used to prosecute another Jew, and I haven’t done that. All you can accuse me of is Chillul Hashem. But if you’re asking if I made a Chillul Hashem, you could say the same thing about calling attention to abuse or domestic violence within our communities. I’m trying to raise awareness regarding an issue in order to get rid of it. Don’t blame the janitor for making the mess.“
Federman concluded that the fact that many see this exposure as a Chilul Hashem only serves as proof that community residents recognize this as being an issue and the policy unjust, “otherwise what is there to be ashamed of” he asked.
Crown Heights long timer
Federman is right about the Times posting positively about Crown Heights. Remember that Devorah Benjamin article? That was a positive piece.
CHEREM now!
If this is how Federkop argues cases, I pity anyone who hires him as an attorney!
And yes, we get very good press in the Times, and such wonderful comments from blog readers. I refer you once again to how their moderators let the peanut gallery besmirch Mrs. Benjamin, of all people. That’s how the Slimes works sometimes – they will post an article knowing their readers will react in a way that will further their leftist agenda.
And if this guy lives in CH, I indeed hope that he will not be welcomed in shuls and even stores. Unfortunately, I know that will not be the case because he’ll threaten anyone who does that with another Times article and/or lawsuit. Largely for better, but also for worse sometimes, we’re not Williamsburgh, but I can only imagine how they or Kiryas Joel would deal with the likes of a Federkop.
Again, I could care less about the issue; I’m not from CH. I only care that he ran to the NYT because all of Chabad suffers from his grandstanding and foolishness.
Chaim Yankel
Eli, you’re smart. Smart enough to know that if you want things open, then be open. First the Times states that you said you were given a number of explanations (which you then refute admirably) about why women don’t have a vote in CH…but you don’t say who gave you those explanaitons. Rabbonim? Mashpiim? Someone who’s just shooting off their mouth? People who know what they’re talking about?…You can’t just say: these are the explanations I’ve been given, and then go on to refute them. The so-called explanations are indeed without merit at all…but name names. Who said it? Does it have any kind of weight?
Second – who is your mashpia? You’re responding to criticism, but again you just say, ‘my mashpia’? Who is that? Anyone could name anyone as mashpia and then say that it’s enough to have that approval.
If you say your mashpia, or your rav, then let us know who it is. Or, as you say, do you have something to be ashamed of?
Finally, Eli…I can say is C’MON!….You went to the Times because of their fair coverage of Crown Heights affairs! Puleeez! Why in the world is this even a good story? You can’t pretend to be that clueless, Eli…you’re too smart for that.
Fair coverage of CH because it was a nice Devorah Benjamin story?…Go back a few years…see how they covered the CH riots….in ALL of the mentions of those riots, just about every reference to the ‘killings’ was exactly that – Gavin Cato’s ‘killing’ and Yankel Rosenbaum’s ‘killing.’ It was shocking then, and it’s not any less shocking now. So please don’t p ull out the “Time is good journalism, and they’re fair to CH.”
Plain and simple: this got you press. You know it,everyone knows it. It certainly does not further the cause – which deserves GREATLY to be furthered. You’ve taken a real issue, that needs real rectification, and you’ve let it get drowned out in the discord of Eli Federman furthering his own cause under the guise of furthering the true cause.
CHEREM now!
To 1: Yes, but the reader comments to the Devorah Benjamin article turned it into a very negative one. Then, the Failed Mess picked it up and let his minions run it further into the ground.
And this article is negative from the get-go. I remember that 2 years ago, they decided to profile an ex-CH resident and BR graduate as some sort of remarkable New Yorker (in reality she is a failed artist whom no one had heard of before or since that article). They let all of their usual leftists rant, and one Lubavitcher was left fighting all the haters, who actually included self-defined Lubavitchers.
You don’t go to the Times any more than you go to Al Sharpton.
far away
go eli your the best
maybe one day ill come back bec of eli
eli for chjcc
to mr. federman,
we all dont care who you are or what calculations you made, to tattle to the NYTimes about a community whom you as a young tattalah, know barely anything about, and if your mashpia was here for a shmecky 4 years, (how much can he know if ch foundation is set by the years we saw the rebbe, a nice 30 years or so?) its a huge chutzpah. you didnt ask rabbonim, not anyone with a drop more experience than 10 years. i bet you didnt write to the rebbe, via ohel or igros. who do you and your wife think you are to “fix” Ch???!! Do you own CH that you can advertize us the way you do? That was a very smart-alecky move!
i think ill go to the associated press because my teachers wont let me eat in class!
BTW, women are entitled to vote for women things and i dont think youll take this because you guys seem liberal, but women voting wouldnt be so tzniut:)
your a chutzpanyack and an embarrasment to your relatives and accuaintences! say sorry!
Lets be Honest
The only way things happen in this community is if there is some sort of outside influence, lets not fool ourselves and say that if he had kept it our community something would have changed, (not that I believe that it will change now, I still think we need some more pressure), I think this is something that would be better if we wouldn’t have to do, but unfortunately it had to be done.
Jewish Blood
Every poll in Crown Heights has blood on it as a result of Mesira done by these people in the CHJCC, this Article pales in comparison.
Anyways, good job Mr. Federman, keep it up!!!
Not important
Not one person has yet to address Eli’s simple claim: why can’t adult women vote for members of a COMMUNITY COUNCIL that affects everyone?? This isnt an election for a Beis Din or anything else remotely religious where one could possibly claim it inappropriate. Crown Heights doesnt want to be saved from itself. You guys deserve each other.
To# 7
I would agree that nothing will probably change. This group is so
afraid of the outside world, that we are suppose to be guiding &
influencing. I have not seen the article, but it can’t be so bad.
The situation in C.H., for sure is much, much worse. This problem
is at least 50 years old. It has nothing to do with Gimmel Tamuz,
as people try to pass it off & use it for an excuse. And it is Not
the Yetzer HaRah, the people are the problem. The Rebbe said that,
“My inyan is to bring G-dliness down to this world, but they don’t
let me to do so since there is no achdus”. Since this issue already came out in the press, just deal with it. It’s a very simple issue to resolve.
LA MORAH
i just find it so hard to believe that any reputable mashpia would say yeah it’s a good idea to go to the new york times.
a woman in Chabad that lives in crown
he is verry wrong.you do not make a Chillul Hashem & this is a big one.#2 The frum women are not deprived.
yesef
What we have here is the not uncommon situation of an outsider looking for recognition and acceptance. Unfortunately for him (and fortunately for us) he shot himself in his foot. Hope he has learned his lesson
moshe
if he really cared he would speak to local leaders to influence
going to the press on internal matter is totally out of line..
Did We All Trun Liberal?!
Yes, in my opinion he was wrong. You dont go to goyim when you feel you have an issue in your own community with out consulting the community itself about the problem. BIG CHILUL HASHEM. I’m in agreement with comment #12. And yes, I am a frum CH woman and the frum women here are NOT deprived.
leave
lubavitch doesnt need such people .u can become lubavitch but dont try to make lubavitch in ur image. before u all start saying lubavitch is only kiruv the rebba didnt let certain people in lubavitch.eli go back where u came from before ull destroy everything lubavitch and chassidim stand for .no mashpia would allow u to do this unless ur mashpia is a fraud or ur lying.
Michoel Dovid
Go Mr. Federman,
He brings up a good point that the organization receives millions from the government. And the people that gave them the millions have rules against excluding/discriminating. So logically it would make sense for this to happen.
If they don’t want women and single men to vote that’s fine, just stop taking money from the government.
And if Tamir made statements almost a year ago about this, than someone asking them to follow through seems very reasonable.
As for going to higher ups, from the e-mails it seems like he has tried and no one has bothered to get back to him.
So yes, if you are getting government money and ignoring the rules that go with it, ignoring the chairman of the Vaad, and ignoring one of those that is allowed to vote, then yes, you should be called out.
In my humble opinion, ignoring a valid question and then letting others attack the person is pretty lame and not something I want out of any community leader.
frum woman dopnt need to vote
we can discuss and agree with our husbands on who to vote for. if a couple cant agree on this, how can they raise kids when each is entitled to run their own agenda- learn to work things out so ur kids grow up stable and not confused
CHEREM now!
If you read the article, it is not clear that there are such rules regarding private agencies that dispense public funds.
Regardless, the problem is not the issue. The problem is that he went to the Times.
For that, he has no place in the community until he apologizes in public, and even then the damage may be such that he’d be best off just leaving Chabad and going to a left-wing community.
So bothered
Eli…you’ve certainly raised a storm! But, sadly, the storm that needed raising isn’t. Now the whole tararam is about your going to the Times, and , very sadly, the issue of women voting is just cast aside.
As #9 states: no one has yet addressed the issue itself. I would very much like to get back to the important issue – your behaviour is not important. You’re actually pretty irrelevant…you set out to make a lot of noise, your name gets heard one way or another…but so far you’ve not furthered the cause of women’s rights at all!
So…back to the original question: why is it that women don’t have a vote when it co mes to CC elections? And I don’t want to hear from the rifraff, I want to hear from someone who’s inside and has an answer to the question.
And then, we can go from there.
But please, Eli, stay out of it. You just tend to keep the attention on yourself. Let’s give the attention to the actual question at hand.
And to COLLIVE I would request the following: If the issue is Eli’s foolish behavior then stick to that. But, if you really want to put the spotlight back onto the real issue then please, please leave out the ‘noise’ here and just post what is relevant to the issue. The question is this: so far, women haven’t been given a vote for Community Council elections. Why?
And, please, only post a response from someone who’s reliable and who can answer the question for real.
Idiotic
Abuse doesnt compare to Women votting rights. Nevertheless, It is wrong to go to outside sources to raise awareness or even deal with CH issues! you are an attention seeking lowlife and thats that! Your intentions were not pure and one day when you grow up you will see the effects of your actions.
Shame On You Federman!
Duh!
Of course he was. What’s the question?!
Yanky and Leah
It’s unbelievable that so many of us are using the “charim” card – when this card and concept reflects xian ideology and practice. It’s upsetting to see an intolerance for the choices of your fellow neighbor who is justified ingoing to TIMES, since womens issues are essentially social issues – effecting all residents of CH. The most upsetting is to read the women’s posts – since they reflect, essentially, an ignorance towards what it means to be told that you may not vote – that your choice will not matter and that your voice cannot and will not be heard.
Shea
I thought the Rebbe was not interested in putting people into cherem, whose example are those calling for cherem following?
A kosher and frelich Pessach to one and all,
Shea
kikiriki
Why the blackmail. “you have 2 days to respond!!??” what is this? the Mafia. These are things the community has to vote on? You are like “make the change I demand or else..”. The commmunity is larger then you.
Ash
BS”D
Relax! He was trying to do well
dont push Cherim on a good Yid,
we just need to resolve some issues and it will be ok
plus cheirem, really!> thats crazy :) not for this Tzaddik.
Moshiach NOW!
Think for a moment
the Rebbe forsure in many cases was for not bringing any disagreement to ap public newspaper. Can you find one case where the Rebbe wanted to publicize a case in the press?
A chosid in the absence of the being able to see the Rebbe physically thinks what the rebbe would want of him. Did you think about that?
CHEREM now!
Some of us remember when the Rebbe was all for cherem (technically nidui). Financial issues were involved then, but this is far worse.
And sorry, but cherem is not a notzri concept.
We are sometimes far too open, and some cleaning of the house is in order.
Either that or maybe it is time for those of us who still are frum and follow the old standards to become closer with Reb Aron Teitelbaum shlit”a in KJ, who embodies both ahavas Yisroel and standards, both of which are lacking in today’s modern crowd.
Not Buying it!
Reading his letter make me have a even lower opinion of the kid.
on who’s authority does he threaten the CHJCC and the Bais din?? he gives them a two day deadline??? and even if they did wanna change it – it’s obviously gonna take more then two days?
This punks arrogance has no bounds.
Mark my word: this is not the end, in the coming weeks the full damage that he has caused to the community will become apparent.
Fun vanent shtamstu?
Smart boy!
Problem: no routs. Sad.
what does the torah say?
I don’t know what the Rebbe sais on the issue of woman voting in Jewish community elections. I don’t know what our Rabbonim say of this mater.
What I do know is pretty simple: the ones who set the tone for a religious and Chassidic community is the spiritual leaders of the community. The Rabbonim.
To go to religious-Jew hating secular press and to publicly belittle the way of life of this Chassidic community with the hope to “pressure” the spiritual leaders of the community to make a decision based on FEAR of the broader public, the government or the courts is – in my humble opinion – NOT the jewish way.
It seems like some people are trying to get their names in the press. But it’s a shame that the only way they know how to do that is to publicly humiliate their own people…
It’s quite possible that the federman’s had no idea what their actions would cause. But herein lies the problem, when every ‘pisher’ decides to take COMMUNITY actions into his/her own hands without consulting with the veterans (experienced) and Rabbonim, this is what the results look like (shame for the entire lubavitch community).
Aidel
He claims he is doing this for the Woman of community but obviously he doesnt represent us and he is doing more harm then good.
if he had any sense he would just shut up.
ex ch-r
The question is whether the government grants money to the chjcc on the basis that it is a democratically elected institution. I donj’t think it does. Moreover there are plenty of community agencies that handle government grants whose directors are not elected by the public. As long as Mr. Federman has no evidence that government monies are being misappropriated in a discriminatory fashion, he has no case. zero.
What we are dealing with here frankly, is a young, somewhat intelligent and very hot headed individual who is obviously acting without proper guidance who will regret his actions in the long run.
To Eli
If you and your wife were a little older and perhaps a little more mature you would realize the deep hurt and potential devastation you are bringing to the community you live in and the very people you claim to be advocating for.
I suggest some soul searching and a new Maspia.
Was Federman Wrong for Going to the Time
no he was not because he accomplished his goal which was some cheap publicity. watch for his next article to the Huffington Post taking on the lack African American teachers in our schools.
Garry Getz
Immature and arrogant full of BS
Antimesira
To Number 29:
Who the hell are the CHJCC or the Beth Din that one may not threaten them with a deadline.
The CHJCC and their Beth Din get paid with tax payers dollars, they work for us, they do what we tell them to do.
WE pay the CHJCC and their Beth Din, we are the boss and we can demand what we want!
I demand to know where the millions they received from tax payers dollars to help Crown Heights residents have vanished!!!
Simon
The only place Federman erred was in trying to help Crown Heights. Most of the neighborhood is beyond help. Good parts of the Crown Heights community usually behave like descendents of the eirev-rav complaining to Moshe for their cucumbers and leeks. Had Federman been living in Crown Heights for longer than four years he would have learned that he’s better off taking care of himself and his wife and let the community go on as it will. The way we’ve been doing it leaves 100s of families unable to afford grapefruits and onions for Pesach, but let someone try and move people out of their inertia and ignorance and then they get excited for blood. Yes, when the NYT writes something it won’t sound as if it came out of Rabbi Kotlarski’s office. So what? That’s not the issue. Have people lied about the Rebbe’s position on women’s voting? Out of whose belly did they get the voting age of 30? Are people making non-halchachic decisions for women without their input? Are people using government money the way it shouldn’t be? These are the real issues and they’ve been going on for more than two days. And since as CH residents we know that unless forced to nobody would have responded in two years let alone two days to this “upstart” I don’t accept that that is the issue either. There’s a problem. We need to correct it. And if be won’t do it voluntarily than maybe a series of articles on the NYT (that effect PR and fundraising) will bring at least 47% of the CH and wider Lubavitch community into the discussion.
fairness
I’m not convinced either way, and I gave no opinion of Mr Federman, but still – there are too many comment trolls here.
Some people shout out the same comments they read earlier without reading his responses. Look, if you think he’s a liar, then just say hes a liar. But don’t keep repeating things like “he’s an outsider” or “he should go to local vaad first” he said he lives here and he said he did go. Again, call him a liar if u like but stop just repeating the same talking points you read before.
messiras
I think all the messiras that have taken place take the cake when it comes to Chillul Hashem.
Just one day after this story brakes we all learn about another lawsuit filed by the Mossrim.
Safe to say, mesira takes the cake.
Article in newspaper? not so much.
Thank you Eli
Keep it up Eli.
May Hashem bless you with health, wealth and happiness.
may you and your family have a kosher Frelichin Pasach.
I hope our next battle will be to allow woman to run for CHJCC, it’s time to clean out the Chometz, that office is full of chometz/corruption and fraud.
Are You guys kiddin- me!?!?
This guy is telling a pack of lies. there is a way for a divorcee or widow to vote!
No Messia here.
There is no Yinayn of Messira, when it was in several papers in the past, posted by others.
All the info is public and all the CHJCC is public.
Did Mr. Federman said that the money goes to wrong places? NO
Did Mr. Federman placed the bylaws on the internet? NO
Mr. Tamir had it on the internet, though I do belive he recently to it of.
Here is a Copy from the sisterhood paper from 2010
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June 15, 2010, 5:52pm
Male-Only Voting in Crown Heights Prompts Complaints
By Debra Nussbaum Cohen
The Lubavitch Hasidim of Crown Heights voted in new communal leadership yesterday. And by Lubavitch Hasidim, of course, I mean men.
Only men — over age 20 if they’re married or 30 or older if they’re not — are permitted to vote for the new leadership of the Vaad Hakohol (Community Committee), which runs the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council. The CHJCC runs and facilitates access to government programs like food stamps and housing subsidies, and serves as a clearinghouse for the local Jewish community, as well as represents it to government officials.
The voting rules that require the one representative of a local Jewish household to be male means that women who are divorced, widowed or never married have no voice in choosing their communal representatives.
Many aren’t happy about it, according to Lubavitch sources. Some complained about their disenfranchisement in comments under this post on the website COLLIVE.com.
“This is 2010. Why can’t the women vote?????????” wrote someone identified as “Women Vote.” A poster named “Chutzpa” wrote “Women know more about the community then men! Let married women vote!” “Universal Suffrage” wrote “Let women vote!” And “How about Divorcees and widows” wrote “I guess those families have no say in Crown Heights. Talk about women not making good choices. They did not participate in the sin of the golden calf. Throughout history we have seen the great understanding of women…think this is the influence of the dark ages not Torah.”
Because it’s men only, voting for both members of the Vaad Hakohol and the committee of men, known as “the Gaboyim,” who run the internal affairs of 770 Eastern Parkway, the main Lubavitch synagogue, took place Sunday in 770’s basement, a male-only space.
While no one in Crown Heights is arguing for female representation on the Gaboyim, the committee running the Jewish Community Council is a different matter. In addition to running and facilitating access to social services like job training, it also represents Crown Heights’ Lubavitchers to elected officials and serves as a lobby on behalf of the community.
According to the most recent tax records publicly available, in 2008 the CHJCC had an annual income of more than $2.7 million.
Isaac “Zaki” Tamir, 31, was the only outright winner of the 13 candidates running in the Vaad Hakohol election, with 54% of the vote. There will be a runoff election in Crown Heights between three or four other men who came closest to winning a seat on the committee, which is supposed to have between three and seven members.
Tamir (to whom I am related by marriage) is a lawyer who lives with his wife and three children in Crown Heights.
Tamir told The Sisterhood that he hopes to address the issue of divorced, widowed and unmarried women not having representation in the elections when the organization’s bylaws are revised, though he cautioned that he didn’t want to speak about the matter too publicly outside of the community before even taking office.
A senior religious court ruling in April called for Sunday’s special election, as well as for revision of the bylaws after years of ugly fighting between local rabbinic authorities and other community members.
A record 2,064 men (representing the 2,100 households listed in the local phonebook of Jewish families, called The Tzach directory) voted in Sunday’s election, according to this article,. The election was held two days before the community commemorated the 16th yartzheit of the last Lubavitcher rebbe on Tuesday.
…
agree with #34
Agree wholeheartedly.
Eli, I hope you can somewhat undo what you have done. Either way, what a disgrace to G-D’s name.
Leah Chana
To #42:
This is news. Can you be more specific? The general conception – is it a misconception? – is that a woman does not have a way to vote.
Please clarify – if this is indeed true then it should be known to all.
Thank you
Let-s look at this objectively
The original piece read: “While many Crown Heights Jews affiliate with the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, Rabbi Zalman Shmotkin, a Chabad spokesman, said the movement was “as separate from the civic affairs of the Crown Heights Jewish community as the White House is from Washington, D.C., civic affairs.” – This was later removed but realty is that this is not a ”Chabad” issue. It’s local community politics. Federman has a well thought out and rational viewpoint. The responses are mostly vitriolic attacks not sensible responses.
From a Rabbi-s wife to Cherem now
I’m not sure what is worse, running to the press or asking for a Cherem on another Jew?( Especially when the circumstances are not Shayach)
It is obvious that you don’t know the laws of Cherem and when it’s right to put a Cherem. Most Rabbis are staying away from such thing, because G”F they should wrongly put a Cherem…
I would assume that you are very emotional about the whole thing, maybe even very close to the “plate” of the chjcc. I understand your frustration, though I completely disagree with your thought of venue, the same way I disagree with Mr. Federman’s venue. I’m not a Mashpia or anything, but I suggest both of you, each in his way, to add in learning of Halachos and Chassidus, you’ll both benefit and realize how to deal with important issues in life.
Though I don’t know you, I have no doubts that with in you (when not emotional) you are a nice and good person who want good. The same is with Mr. Federman, it looks like he is a good person who wants good.
Both of you made a little mistake, but life goes on…
Have a happy, Kosher and Frailichen Pesach.
A Kosher and Frailichen Pesach to Mr. Federman as well.
From a Rabbi’s wife
Shimon
42. Are You guys kiddin- me!?!? wrote:
This guy is telling a pack of lies. there is a way for a divorcee or widow to vote!
Leah Chana wrote:
This is news. Can you be more specific? The general conception – is it a misconception? – is that a woman does not have a way to vote.
Currently women can write their vote on a kvitel and read it at the ohel or take it to the koisel … but they cannot get their ballot counted in a CHJCC election.
CHEREM now! - more than ever!
I am many time zones and a few bodies of water from the CHJCC. I barely know what it is and what it does, let alone having any connections to it. I lived in CH for a very short time and knew to stay far away from anything related to community politics.
However, I know far better than you do how much damage this kind of nonsense article that Federkop generated does to Chabad throughout the world.
We need to learn a bit from our friends in KJ and Williamsburgh. They would go a bit further than cherem, but seeing how well cherem worked in Vienna against the Neturei Karta, I think it is a good start. After a few months of cherem, their former so called Chief Rabbi of the Anti-Zionist Congregation left town, apologized in public, and he was never heard from again. He reminds me of Federkop – just an immature nebby guy from a broken home out there looking for attention.
Federkop had an ummm..very interesting childhood and I wonder if he is 100% sane. Regardless, it is clear he wants publicity for himself, and cares little about the shechuna, Chabad, the Rebbe or anyone else. His law degree is not from a very well-regarded school, and without notoriety he won’t get very far even with his brother’s connections.
I am unfortunately personally acquainted with a certain failed butcher become blogger from the Midwest, and I know full well that an article like this is just what the NYT and the Backward want so that he and his minions can pick it up from them to attack Chabad.
It is time for us to stop being 60s leftover free love types and to go back to standards.
We’re not in some la-la land, we are in the real world and the spirit of the Yevsektzia is still out there. Today’s Yevsektzia of self-hating Jews (many of whom are not even Jews al pi halacha) feed on stories like this one and they look to it as inspiration when they make trouble for kappores, and shechita, and even milah – to say nothing of zoning for new Chabad Houses.
And sometimes, when red lines are crossed, we have to varf ois the troublemakers. Going to the NYT is tantamount to mesira, and we have far too much of that going on as it is.
CHEREM now!
Halachically, though, yes, the Manchester and Vienna “chromim” against the fools of Neturei Karta may not have been halachic cherem. Regardless, the people behind them will have much schar for what they did – especially in Vienna where it was 100% effective.
Mendy G.
i hope reb cherem is close to the chjcc because he’s the kind of man crown heights needs now.
i also hope that women like 47 learn how to think before they get any chance at the vote.
To #49
I believe Federman went to the number one public interest school in the nation and also served as executive articles editor of the law review…. That’s the top 2% of law students… In terms of the Lubavitch issue #46 makes it pretty clear that Chabad has nothing to do with this. I agree that people should be ashamed to drag the Rebbe through the Crown Heights politics mud.
Shimon
#49, are you advocating violence? Lucky for you you live “many timezones” away from CH because in NY that’s called making terrorist threats.
Timing not the issue....
To all those saying that Federman did not give enough time obviously didn’t read the Times article. He was lobbying since 2009. The formal letters only came later and besides what do we have to fear by bringing this disussion to the public forum? I agree with Federman.
Sayso
Let’s talk kosher…. Is there or is there not a way for women to vote? And what kind of issues to vote on are we talking about? Can someone just relate the actual facts ? It feels to me that we are going around in circles, yet avoiding the point. So someone went to the press. So someone else doesn’t like that. So someone else, and someone else, and someone else….If it’s a matter of reason, then say so. If it’s a matter of halakha, say so. If you don’t know, then say so. If there is something you think needs to change, say so. If you are ashamed of a practice you do not agree to , but follow it because it’s always been that way, say so. Nu?
Why?
Responding with such venom! Not a very attractive response style. I would expect more yiddishkeit. Seems there are lots of angry people unable to deal with conflict in healthy ways. That’s too bad. Perhaps think about it.